


glory to be earned

by sundancekid



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-08
Updated: 2012-10-08
Packaged: 2017-11-15 21:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sundancekid/pseuds/sundancekid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Steve offered to share his bunk after a battle filled up the Helicarrier, he didn't expect to be assigned Sif.</p>
            </blockquote>





	glory to be earned

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the "common fandom tropes" meme, for the prompt "forced to share a bed." Thanks to [kairos103](http://kairos103.livejournal.com) for the prompt!

Steve was, of course, the first person to offer to share his bunk on the Helicarrier when the memo went out. They were in New Mexico, working on the Foster Bridge, when they were attacked by Loki. The battle was over now, and Loki had gone off to who knows where, and the town's two hotels were blown up, as were about half its houses, so the residents of Puente Antiguo were being set up in stores and trailers and even tents (Hill refused to allow civilians on the ship), and every SHIELD employee was recalled back to the Helicarrier, even the ones who'd been in town for months and had houses or apartments of their own. So when the memo asked who was willing to double up, Steve volunteered right away.

He did not expect Sif to show up with a duffel bag in one hand and a mace in the other. "I was told I would be staying here," she said, gesturing toward Steve's bunk.

"...Oh," Steve said. Very smooth, Rogers. "I was expecting... well, a fellow."

"Yours is a very gender segregated world," Sif allowed, smiling a bit. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Captain Rogers?"

"Oh, what, no ma'am, it's fine. Please, call me Steve." They'd only met a few days before, and had sparred just that morning -- they'd only been at it for twenty minutes when Loki arrived, so they hadn't done much more than feel each other out, but he'd been very impressed with her.

"Steven, thank you for sharing your quarters." Sif dropped her bag at the foot of the bed, and laid the mace next to it, taking far more care with the weapon than with her bag.

They both had to head back out right away, to help with clean up. Sif was among a group of Asgardians tasked with moving debris out of the way, helping rescue trapped civilians. Steve would have liked to do that too, but first he had to attend several meetings. But finally, he was allowed to go out and help with rescue himself. Steve understood the importance of meetings in theory, and on occasion of particular meetings in practice, but mostly he liked to be doing something.

It was oh-two hundred by the time Steve finally got back to his quarters, and he was exhausted. He could keep going a long time, because of the serum, and in general he didn't need as much sleep as most, but he was still human, and twelve hours of throwing boulders around meant he was wiped.

Sif was already in his bed (and didn't that thought make him blush), sound asleep. She was curled in on herself, taking up as little room as possible -- there was space for Steve, but it would have been very difficult to sleep without touching her.

Steve looked at the floor. He'd slept on the floor before, of course, many times, and on worse. Still, he'd gotten used to the comforts of a bed. Twenty-first century mattresses sure were nice.

You've gone soft, Rogers, he thought. He eased his pillow off the bed and grabbed a spare blanket from the closet. He laid down at the foot of the bed, shifted a bit, closed his eyes, and sighed quietly.

Barely two minutes had gone by before he heard a quiet voice saying, "Steven, you are welcome to sleep here."

"Oh, it's fine, ma'am," he said, and could hear the uncertainty in his voice. His shoulder was very sore, and while he knew he'd been fine in a few hours, right now laying on a cold hard floor wasn't helping.

"Steven," Sif said again, sitting up and looking at him, even though it was too dark to see, no light but his digital clock, "these are your quarters, I am a guest here. You have had a long day of battle, you have fought bravely and well. Please don't feel that my honor requires you to abase yourself further. My honor requires that I not deprive a warrior of the comforts of his own home."

"I really am fine," he insisted.

"Steven, you are a terrible liar." Sif was smiling at him, he could tell, and when she turned her head he could see she had a scrape running across her temple. Her dark hair was falling around her shoulders, and she looked lovely. "Please sleep here, I would appreciate it."

Steve knew he should refuse again, but he really didn't have the energy. So he grabbed his pillow and blanket and got back into bed. Even hugging the edge of the bed, it was a thousand times more comfortable than the floor. He was pretty sure he was going to be able to fall asleep immediately, even with his embarrassment.

"Tell me about your shield," Sif said quietly. They were both laying on their backs, looking up at the ceiling. Their hands were less than a few inches apart. "I have only seen shields used defensively, but you make it a most wondrous offensive weapon."

So Steve told her about his shield, and asked her about her mace, and about how she and Fandral and Hogun had developed the maneuver where they distracted an enemy so she could surprise it from behind. It was easier to talk to her, in the dark, not looking at each other, too tired to be truly nervous.

They talked weapons and tactics for a good hour, even though they were both exhausted, until finally Steve actually, mortifyingly, fell asleep while talking about a raid on a HYDRA base. Mid-sentence. Steve Rogers, smooth operator.

Luckily it appears Sif fell asleep almost immediately after, and when they both woke up, she smiled widely at him.

"A new day!" she said, pushing her hair back into a ponytail. Steve felt perfectly well rested, of course, but Sif seemed incredibly cheerful even to Steve. The gash on her face hadn’t healed anymore than was usual, but she seemed totally unbothered by it.

"Come, Steven, perhaps we will finish our cleanup early enough to spar. We never did finish yesterday, and I have an idea about how to best your shield technique."

Steve gaped at her. They'd slept in the same bed and stayed up talking weapons in the dark and she was behaving as if nothing unusual had happened... and then it hit him.

"Did you ask me about my shield just to figure out how to beat me? Did you trick me?"

Sif bounced out of bed, grinning. "Not entirely. Come, Steven, the day is just beginning. There is glory to be earned."

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and con crit are very welcome.


End file.
